Classification
Welcome to the classification information section of the IPC homepage. We hope the page will be a key part in providing you with information on classification that you may require.
Introduction
Classification is a structure for competition. Paralympic athletes have an impairment in body structures and functions that leads to a competitive disadvantage in sport. Consequently, criteria are put in place to ensure that winning is determined by skill, fitness, power, endurance, tactical ability and mental focus, the same factors that account for success in sport for athletes who are able-bodied.
The purposes for the criteria include:
- Defining which impairment groups can compete in the various sports
- Grouping athletes in classes defined by the degree of activity limitation related to the impairment and/or specific to the tasks in the sport.
Traditionally there are athletes who belong to six different disability groups in the Paralympic Movement: amputee, cerebral palsy, visual impairment, spinal cord injuries, intellectual disability and a group which includes all those that do not fit into the aforementioned groups (“les autres”).
When an athlete starts competing, they are allocated a class that may be reviewed throughout the athlete's career. Sports certify individuals to conduct the process of classification and these Officials are known as classifiers.
The History of Classification
In the 1940s, Dr. Ludwig Guttmann founded Paralympic Sport as an extension of the rehabilitation process. During the early years of the Paralympic Movement, classification was medically based. The organizational structure of medically based classification systems reflected the structure of a rehabilitation hospital, with separate classes for people with spinal cord injuries, amputations and those with other neurological or orthopedic conditions.
More information on the history of classification can be retrieved from the following document:
The IPC Classification Code
In 2003, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) developed a classification strategy with the overall objective to support and co-ordinate the ongoing development of accurate, reliable, consistent and credible sport focused classification systems and their implementation. The IPC Classification Code is a direct result of recommendations made in this Strategy.
For more information on the IPC Classification Code and the development of sport specific classification, take a look at the following website:
The Implementation of and Compliance with the IPC Classification Code is monitored by the IPC Classification Committee.
Classification Rules
The allocation of an athlete to a sport class is determined by a variety of processes that may include a physical and technical assessment and observation in and out of competition. The classes are defined by each sport and are reflected in the Classification Rules together with processes and procedures on how athlete assessment is conducted. Classification Rules are sport rules, which are governed by the respective International Federation.
(This section will be adjusted at a later stage)
National Classification Strategy
Coaches and National Paralympic Committees (NPCs) or National Federations (NFs) are likely the first contact point that an athlete has with classification. Therefore, an NPC and NF should take an active role in the development of an understanding in classification. The roles and responsibilities of NPCs and NFs under the IPC Classification Code include the promotion of the development of a national classification strategy, including education. Such strategy should ensure that national classification rules conform with the Code and the rules of the governing International Federations.
For more information, take a look at the following documents:
- National Classification Strategy - Overview
- National Classification Strategy - NPC Australia
- National Classification Strategy - NPC Korea
The person in charge of the provisions of the Classification programme in the Paralympic Movement is the IPC Medical & Scientific Director Dr. Peter Van de Vliet (peter.vandevliet@paralympic.org).
